Wednesday, April 7, 2010

BSNYC Product Review: Walmart's Mongoose Cachet "Fixed-Speed" Bicycle

In New York City during springtime, the the only thing blooming more colorfully than the flowers are the cyclists. Fair weather, hormones and soaring pollen levels conspire to send people into an excitable state, and to travel the streets during this time is to bear witness to an exuberant display of bicycles, clothing, and riding styles. Consider this fetching pink blossom:

In New York City, where the streets are often congested, narrow bars can help you make your way through traffic jams. However, there is a point at which bars become too narrow, and that is when they are narrower than you. So, unless the owner of this bicycle is actually hiding behind that pole (or unless this is a remote control bicycle and it often travels riderless), then these bars are pointless and the rider may as well dispense with them altogether. Sure, on a certain level it's unfair to judge, since what works for one rider may not work for another, but I maintain that when your bars are narrower than your "Q-factor" you need to reevaluate your setup. The only legitimate reason for these bars that I can come up with this that the Fixedgeargallery has gotten overcrowded and is switching to an ultra-narrow photo format (as in the photo above), and so this will soon be the only way to get your bike on there.

Similarly puzzling is springtime intersection behavior, when "shoaling" and "circling" grow rampant. "Circling" occurs when a rider simply rides around in circles at an intersection, and while it's usually tentative, it can also be aggressive. Here's one rider I witnessed yesterday who was actually circling the crosswalk at high speeds and while in the drops:

A fraction of a second later, though, he was off like a bullet made of turquoise:

Note the look of intense concentration and the fact that the force of his acceleration has caused his amber glasses to slip down his nose:

I don't know what race he was participating in, but whatever it was I'm sure he won.

But spring is not only about demonstrative riding; it's also a time in which those who do not have bicycles at all contemplate purchasing one. Inevitably, at least some of these prospective riders will be drawn to the purported simplicity, multiple "colorways," and supposed "cool factor" of the fixed-gear bicycle. Furthermore, as we all know, the fixed-gear bicycle (or at least the look of the 21st century "urban" fixed-gear bicycle) has officially attained complete pop-cultural absorption with the advent of the $150 Mongoose Cachet "fixed-speed" bicycle, now available at Walmart.

As I mentioned in a prior post, I was happy to learn about the Cachet, since I believe anything that makes it more difficult for people to convince themselves that they are "special" or "cool" is a good thing. (Indeed, a reader informs me that, so complete is the mainstreamification of the fixed-gear aesthetic, even Gawker is commenting on it.) Additionally, I believe that accessibility (both in terms of widespread availability and low price) is also a good thing, and that these sorts of bicycles should not be the exclusive domain of monied 20- and 30-somethings with access to trendy boutiques. Ultimately, my sincere hope upon learning about it was that the Cachet would help wrest the whole "fixie" thing from the grip of the "hipsters" and place it in the hands of America's teenagers where it belongs. However, to put it simply, all of this egalitarianism is no good if the bike is a total piece of crap. So I filled out the necessary paperwork and ordered a Cachet from the Walmart website to see what it is that these prospective cyclists will be getting.

The bike arrived five days later. Here it is, the end of your precious "culture" packed neatly in a box:

(The "Pandora's Box" of the fixed-gear "culture.")

Eagerly, I opened it, and moments later the Mongoose out of the box and the clichéed cat was out of the bag:

(Packing material or free top-tube pad? Depends on how you look at it.)

I should mention at this point that when I ordered the bike the website did not give me the option of selecting a size, so I can only assume Walmart only offers one. Additionally, I could find no information on the site as to what size that single size actually was (nor could I find the Cachet on the Mongoose website), and the only dimensions seemed to refer to the size of the box. Measuring the bike, I determined that it was what most manufacturers would probably call a 55cm or perhaps a "medium"--which, as it happens, fits me fine.

But enough of all this technical "sizing" jargon. I know what you're really wondering at this point, and the answer is, "Yes, it does have an integrated chainguard tab:"

("All You Haters Cuff My Pants.")

Next, like a child on Christmas morning, I began to liberate the Cachet from its packing materials. (Not an excited child, mind you; more like a really depressed child who suspects his alcoholic parents may have given him a single used sneaker again this year.) Once it was free, the first thing I noticed was that the headset cups had been pressed in at a decidedly jaunty angle (either that or the headtube was misshapen), both top:

And bottom:

The next thing I noticed was that the headset was so tight that I could barely move the fork. Clearly, this was unrideable, and I would have to loosen the lock nut and adjust it. Using the appropriate tool, I endeavored to do so, but it was on so tight that the nut actually started to round off before I eventually managed to free it:

Note the abundant metal shavings:

Once I had disassembled the headset, I considered removing and reinstalling the cups. However, I was worried that the headtube or the cups might not survive, and so instead I simply adjusted the headset and reassembled it. It didn't look pretty, but the fork turned fine.

Now that fork could move, it was ready for a front wheel:

The stamped fork dropouts were also a bit crooked, but I was able to install the wheel. Incidentally, you may have also noticed by now that the Cachet features 48-spoke wheels, front and rear. Clearly Walmart is being cautious here, and they are also reaffirming international stereotypes about obese American "big-box store" customers in the process. Still, too many spokes is always better than too few, and the wheels were adequately true.

Next, I removed and reinstalled the rear wheel. (The chain was so highly tensioned I could have fired an arrow from it.) Note the name-brand freewheel:

Everybody knows "Long Yih Industry" is the White Industries of China.

Incidentally, many people have correctly speculated that the term "fixed-speed" is Walmart-ese for "singlespeed." Others (like Gawker) have also incorrectly pointed out that Walmart is selling fixed-gear bicycles. Technically, they are not, although the Quando rear hub is fixed-gear-ready:

The Fixed-Gear Apocalypse is indeed upon us. When the 666th person installs a fixed cog on his or her Cachet, the world as we know it will come to an end, serial retrogrouch and uber-curmudgeon Jobst Brandt will rise from his grave (even though he's currently alive and well), and we will all meet our fates at the mesh cycling gloved hands of the Four Recumbent Riders of the Apocalypse.

Oh, and if that's not apocalyptic enough for you, with 113mm rear spacing I'm pretty sure the Mongoose Cachet is "NJS:"

Then again, my tape measure may just be a "POS." Either way, though, we're all doomed, which is probably why Walmart doesn't want you to ride your Mongoose Cachet at night:

With the cockpit and wheels both able to turn freely, I shifted my attention to the "calipur" brakes, which were relatively flimsy-looking single-pivot models. The front brake in particular was quite loose and wiggled in the fork, making it impossible to center. So I went to tighten the fixing nut:

As I continued to turn it, I realized nothing was happening. Figuring it must be stripped, I then attempted to remove it, but nothing happened then either. Instead, it kept spinning and spinning while mysteriously staying in place no matter which way I turned it:

Vexed by this hypnotically-spinning nut and unable to either remove or tighten the brake, I then took it apart, which only served to underscore how generally out of alignment the front end of the bicycle was:

Ultimately, I concluded, it would need to be removed destructively and replaced, but in the meantime I simply reassembled it and moved on to making sure the crankarms were on tight:

They were. Then, I installed the conveniently color-coded pedals:

Finally, I installed the seatpost and saddle, topped off the tires, and hit the streets. Here's the view from the "cockpit:"

I headed immediately to the bike path on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. Apart from the odd "hipster" making an ironic fixed-gear schlep to Coney Island, the bicycle traffic there consists almost entirely of department store bikes. Really, it's to Magnas and Huffys what Daytona Beach is to motorcycles, so I figured it was a perfect place for a test ride. Not only was the front end generally off-kilter, but the pedals also squirmed slightly under my feet, indicating that perhaps the bottom bracket spindle was bent. Also, when I coasted, instead of the click-click-click of pawls there was an odd vinyl "whooshing" sound. Still, it worked. Here it is, leaning seductively on its kickstand:

Frankly, I had mixed feelings at this point. Sure, $150 was cheap, and sure the bicycle worked, but the mangled headset and front brake in particular were troublesome to me, and it seemed that even $300 could buy you a much better bicycle from a different vendor. Then again, while I like to think I prize utility over extravagance, the fact is that in many ways I'm perhaps too far removed from the Mongoose Cachet demographic to judge it properly, and maybe the fact that it rolls is enough. As I said earlier, my hope was that the Cachet might serve as sort of a "gateway drug" for the American teenager, and clearly I needed a teenager's point of view. So, I turned the bike over to my ironic intern, Spencer Madsen for further testing. As you can see, he looks pleased yet apprehensive:

Once the "Youth of America" test results are in, I will share them with you at a later date. In the meantime, if you go to Walmart, you may want to stick to the sheds.

"and we will all meet our fates at the mesh cycling gloved hands of the Four Recumbent Riders of the Apocalypse."More like ungloved hands. Recumbent riders typically do not distribute their weight to their palms :)

The Bad Lawyer has a young lawyer friend/former Playboy "girl next door"-pal. Last summer her boyfriend baught her what is labeled a Schwinn. A sadder example of manufacturing malpractice I have not seen until today. At least Mongoose, does not have the cachet of "quality" that Schwinn had for geezers like myself. In otherwords, I never had an expectation that their name plate connoted quality bicycle.

Giovanni stopped riding his fixie a few years ago after he broke his ankle when he fell of his motorcycle. Used to see him riding around all the time in my old 'hood and he was sketchy on a bike w/o brakes.

Do these come assembled at your local WalMart? I am truly intrigued at the concept of a "disposable" bike. With what airlines charge to ship a bike, I am envisioning flying into a major metropolis, taking a short cab ride to the nearest WalMart, riding my shiny new POS for the duration of my stay, then abandoning it curbside at the airport upon my departure. Homeland Security will surely happen by momentarily and tow it away to an uncertain future.

It has lovely whole steel crankarms too. Bet they weigh a metric ton.That freewheel can only be removed with an old and mostly unavailable Suntour 2-teeth freewheel removal tool, unless you put it in a bench vise and remove it destrutively. But it's no problem, most people will never ride the 100 or so miles that this premium freewheel was built to endure, after which the bike(?)effectively turns into a fixed gear because the pawls couldn't take it anymore.Good stuff, baby.

obviously the author has never weaved through traffic on his bicycle, for if he had, he would intuitively know that the bicycle rider's body does not always stay in strict alignment with the bicycle he is handling.

Long Yih: "The Company All Staff Always Grasps Strives for Perfection." "Our goal is that we offer the best production to the market and hug all of the domestic clients, cherishing all of resources and supports." (according to their internets site.) i want a hug too!

Sam Walton hated cyclists and Communists. Thus, for pure irony he ordered that the China, a country normally skilled in functional velo technology, be tasked to make the worst bike ever. He even thought of the fake warning "Do Not Ride at Night," to tempt riders to try. Night is when the wheels and handlebar magically disengage, sending the occupant twisting and writhing in front of an oncoming SUV. Poor Spencer. It will be hard to replace him.

peter - so when the rider leans to one side, the crank and pedals move in relation to the bars (q factor, get it?)? i see the point you're trying to make, it's just not enough to defeat the point snobby made. then again, a comment starting with "obviously the author has never [done something he's been blogging about for years]..." shows that its author obviously has never had much grasp of anything.

I'm going to defend shite bikes from supermarkets -here in the UK "Apollo" branded bikes from Halfords - a car retail outlet- are depressingly popular. What they have in their favour is this: they will still be there when you stagger out the pub at midnight. In fact, they will still be there if you drink until 2am forget where you left the bike and only find it two months later. Nobody steals Apollo bikes. Nobody even bothers to strip the parts from them. That's why they are practical an high-theft environment, like Bristol, England.

If there is a failing of the Walmart toy that nobody has picked up on is that it doesn't radiate utter awfulness so blatantly that nobody will try to steal it. No, if you want a really bad bike that gets left alone it has to have full MTB suspension and a saddle designed for someone who has 12 buttocks. This bike may be mechanically awful, but it looks too cool for its own good.

POS or not, I think the appropriately named Cachet is great. How uncool is it now to ride a fixed in the big city when the morons you were showing off to back home in the sticks can get the same thing from Walmart!

But now what? The next fad has to incorporate the same qualities:

1. 'green'2. 'urban' = stolen from what real city kids were doing 20 years ago 3. highly visible yet ironic4. complete with unique (expensive) clothing and accessories to wear when you are back home in Ohio

Wishiwasamerckx said: "riding my shiny new POS for the duration of my stay, then abandoning it curbside at the airport upon my departure. Homeland Security will surely happen by momentarily and tow it away to an uncertain future."

--Just make sure not to install a "this bike is a pipe bomb" sticker on that! It might make the TSA a little jumpy.

I love the fact that the stamped steel dropouts are threaded for a fender or ft. rack. Also love the packing peanut styrofoam dust covering everything in the close up shots. Is styrofoam dust a safety feature?

Wishiwasmerckx @ 2:04 p.m. -- I think the problem with the "disposable bike for travel" strategy is that if you read the reviews of most of the cheap bikes on any big-box-retailer's site, it seems these things are breaking within the first hour or two of riding. Also, I'm betting most big-box stores have people with much less knowledge than BSNYC assemble their bikes -- so you might not make it out of the parking lot.

So, a duck walked into a bar, and asked the bartender, "Do you have any grapes?" The bartender replied, "No, this isn't a grocery store, get the hell out of here!" So, the duck came back the next day, and asked the bartender "Do you have any grapes?" The bartender said "No, I told you before, this isn't a grocery store, and I don't have any grapes, now leave!" So the duck came back the next day, and asked the bartender, "Do you have any grapes?" The angry bartender said, "NO! And if you come back and ask me that again, I will nail your butt to the wall! Now leave!" So, the duck came back the next day, and asked the bartender, "Do you have any nails?" The bartender, puzzled, said, "No, why?" The duck said, "In that case, do you have any grapes?"

You're right, ultra-narrow bars do help you weave through traffic when you're standing sideways on top of your bike '80s BMX-style.

this is about as close to an admission of faulty logic as i expect we'll get. good enough! the post was funny, in any case.

peter, that still doesn't explain why you would ever need handle bars that are more narrow than the rider. and I, like about 90% of the readers of this blog, have weaved in and out of NYC traffic

without breaking out the diagrams and rulers, all i can say is 'try it'. if you've actually weaved, you know how superior very narrow handlebars are -- yes, handlebars that are even more narrow than the rider, than the bike's 'q factor', etc. and bikesnob's 'bmx' comment illustrates and concedes the point, even if done in joking fashion.

I have to say that at least when I was there, I saw little evidence of velo technology skills aside from the street corner 'fix bicycle' guys (who could get you home on three spokes and dab of gum). I was there long enough to purchase a bike and was amazed at how little they cost. Turns out a 2 year old bike was worth a lot more than a brand new one, because that's about how long you had to be riding it to work out all the crappy assembly mistakes.

As for you, Peter, you're not just arrived from Ft. Myers by any chance?

I mean...seriously, what's the problem with having a kickstand mounted to the rear triangle (chain- and saddelstay)?It supports every single one of my all-day bikes with a secure stand, avoiding it from getting scratched and becoming ugly, when leaned against a pole, wall or whatever.

Well they could be a danger, when riding offroad and doing man-high drops! But what's the point if using the bike in the city on a commuting basis?

I just love how, when someone defends the opinions of the blogger, they are a "member of a cult of personality". Not that they share the same opinions and would want to express that. I guess some folks just show up and read this site day in and day out looking for something to contradict. Seems like a bit of a waste of time, especially arguing against most of the folks that comment here.

Mongoose sells essentially two lines of bicycles. One is a line of discount bikes offered through mass-merchandisers like Wal-Mart, Sears and Kmart. The other line, featured on the website, are higher end models sold through specialty shops.

in the early 80s a mongoose BMX was the top of the heap in our part of the world. i would have given anything for just a ride on its chromey glory what the hell have they done? its like aston martin making a hatchback...oh, wait

I realize there are not Wal-marts everywhere in NYC. Many of you probably do not have extended experience with Wal-Mart. I am here to inform you of one thing you may not realize about Wal-Mart. Their return policy is almost ridiculous. On almost all non electronic items there is a 90 day money back guarantee for almost any reason. They are extremely lenient on this policy too. I assure you, one could go buy this bike, ride it for 89 days and bring it back and say I want to return it. You could even say I am broke and need money to go buy some Wednesday Weed, so take it back. No question whatsoever, you would get your money back. Even if you do not have a receipt, they would give you your money back on a gift card and you could use it to buy whatever you want. I have seen items that even said K-mart right on the product that they took back.

The hipsters will buy this bike. If they decide to take it back three years later, Wal-mart in all likelihood would take it back. They may need to complain to the store manager, or call 1-800-WALMART, but they will most likely be able to return it.

I know from personal experience, and I don't dare tell you some of my experiences with people bringing things back. If I did you would probably call me a liar, for they are truly unbelievable.

@ badlawyer How the mighty have fallen: Redline with its cracked frames and now Mongoose. It was a state of the art, such as it was, bmx bike in the mid 70s. I had a Merckxian orange clod buster curb-terrorizer. Jim

This whole Mongoose "fixed speed" thing represents that fixed gear and single speed bicycles have finally reached the point where enough people are riding them for a giant like Wal-Mart to have a reason to sell them. What's wrong with that? They sell BMX bikes, mountain bikes, and road bikes. Now they also sell a single speed bike. People might buy this and get into cycling in the same way that someone might buy a road bike from Wal-Mart in an effort to start cycling, become extremely disappointed with it, then go to a bike shop and buy a decent road bike. Or similar to 12 year old buying a Wal-Mart BMX, riding it for a while, getting made fun of by older, "cooler" BMX kids, then buying one from a shop or building one. I mean, either that or it'll end up hanging in their garage for a decade or two before being sold in a garage sale for $10.

I'm glad Wal-Mart is selling these pieces of crap. I'm looking forward to the day when fixed gears are overlooked like any other bike. I love riding my fixed gear conversion, but I hate the "hipster" stigma. Even though I built mine with fenders, a brake, clipless pedals, and without any flashy parts and/or accessories, it's still a "hipster bike". (Though I'm sure my royal blue skinny jeans, pink aviators, Echo and the Bunnymen t-shirt, iPhone, Vans, PBR tattoo, knuckle tattoos, cycling cap, and Snidely Whiplash mustache doesn't help either.)

I want fixed gears to become an every day sight everywhere in the country. I don't want it to be an elitecycle. Hopefully, at some point, people like all of the morons commenting on the Gawker article will understand what a fixed gear bike is and how it works. In time, maybe they'll accept fixed gear cyclists in the same way most suburbanites and back-woods hicks accept roadies and bicycle commuters... by honking their horns and screaming at them to get out of the road.

I cant believe no one pointed out that you (BSNYC) measured the dropouts incorrectly. measure from the center of dropout to center of dropout, not inside to inside. You may come up with 120mm (or thereabouts) with that technique, cheers....ted grant

YES, there once was an offering called the "McVeggie" at you know where. It was so terrible I figgered that it was intentional, the goal being to make vegetarian sandwiches permanently uninteresting for McDonalds customers (the beef and soy-for-cattle lobby paid for it.).

Ah, a piece of crap, probably. But an entire bike for the price, more or less, of what most 'say' they're willing to pay for 1" CK headset. Hmmm. And the bike has sealed bearing hub (s ?) at least on the rear, so that is another entire bike paid for in Phil terms... yes, the bike is a POS, and probably a bit ugly to ride. But the bike everyone here seems to ride appears to have 4 or 5 hundred dollars worth of hubs, a headset in the $125 range, a mandatory Brooks somewhere in the $150 range and I could go on. I could go until each and every reader had suggested, and paid for, their own premium 'fixed-speed' part, and the bike with the IF frame, and PH hubs, the CK headset, and etc was 3 or 4 thousand bucks. And you still hope that the 'assemler' gets it right.

People, please remember that this is a duck blog too. You are allowed to mention Walmart all you want, but please never mention the name Sam Walton. I hate to even think about it, but he was a.... I can't say it....but I must...he was a Duck Hunter.

I thought this was going to transition into a gardening blog, not a Duck blog (not that there's anything wrong with that).I have root-rot on my Chaenomeles 'O Yashima' and was hoping to get some insight as to the treatment sooner rather than later.

Has anyone else noticed that this bike is the Little 500 bike? (Think "Breaking Away")Could explain why it only comes in one size. I may be crazy, but does it have an American bottom bracket with a cheap adapter? If it does, it's the same bike.

what you all don't understand is when peter says "weave" he means bike down the side of the street opposite the bike lane and "do a full gainer" thereby elevating his much wider crank and pedal over offending vehicles allowing his ultra narrow handlebars and cranium to slip through traffic in matrix style magnificence.

either that or he'd just like to rationalize his hipster style choice by insisting it's a technical issue all the while calling into question the understanding of all those who disagree.

I didnt read anyone's comments but it makes me sad that you can buy a fix at walmart.

Im not a hipster, or to heavy in the fix culture. I am a cyclist for sure but really walmart? Ugh maybe its good for people so they can afford it, get off the couch and lose obesity america but still.

ex: the harley motorcycle culture is odd but it exists. people spend alot of time matching, tasseling and cooling their bikes. then find out walmart sells knock off harleys for a couple hundred and everyone now is "in" the culture.

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Just got my Cachet and am pleasently surprised. Easy to put together and cheap. I have spent enough money on my cannondales that i deserve a cheap utility bike. Looking froward to long hours on the trainging and in the snow this winter. This is my first fixed gear so was hesitant at spending a lot to start with.

Bike rides great out of th box. I did remove the stickers and now it is just a sleek black and white. I will also add drop bars and a fixed cog as soon as they arrive and I will be a happy fixie rider for now.

next spring someone can thank walmart for getting me started, as my intent is to get into track racing to add to my road resume and then purcashe a nicer track bike.

I had determined from that verbal exercise of his that he was a gas bag. Thats when I decided to leave. I had met you, TL, and many other fine folks. I had accomplished what I'd set out to do. Sadly, the wind bag did not provide me a good ending to my Mercer visit.bullet stickers

About Me

While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!